As one of the most popular drum machines ever made, the SR-16™ has been used by everyone from songwriters to live performers to remix engineers as their drum machine of choice. The reason is simple: it features a great selection of 233 realistic, natural drum sounds, offered both in dry form and sampled with our incomparable digital reverbs. View and Download Alesis SR-16 quick start owner's manual online. 23 Bit Stereo Drum Machine. Dynamic Articulation. Stereo Samples. Preset Patterns. SR-16 Drums pdf manual download. GETTING STARTED WITH TTIE SR.16 The SR-15 can be used on many levels, from simply playing preset Pattems to cr€atint your own complex polyrhythms in odd time signatureg' As a restrlt, thele are two rumuals. This mini-manual will acquaint you with a few of the SR-16 s most important functions.
Size:Download
6.8 PAGE 8: SELECT DRUM SETS VIA MIDI PROGRAM CHANGES (PRG CHNG)
PRG CHNG
OFF
SETUPMID
PAG
PERFORM
The display shows PRG CHNG. Program Change commands can change Drum Sets numbers at any time, including while theSR-16 is playing. To have theSR-16 receive Program Changes, use the INC/DEC buttons to selectON. SelectOFF to have theSR-16 ignore Program Changes.
Background Program Change (PC) 00 selects User Drum Set 00; PC 01 selects User Drum Set 01; PC 02 selects User Drum Set 02; etc.Caution! Some units number Program Changes as1-128, others as0-127, and some as banks of programs. If the device generating Program Changes follows anon-standard protocol, it's a good idea to make up a conversion chart that shows which Program Changes call up which Drum Sets.
Program Changes 00-49 select the 50 User Drum Sets. Program Changes50-99 select Preset Drum Sets00-49. Program Changes100-127 select User Drum Sets00-27.
The current Pattern will remember whatever Drum Set is selected via Program Changes, just as if you had selected it manually, unless the SR-16 is in Manual mode (described in Page 9 of the Drum Set menu).
If Program Change is enabled, and the SR-16 is inMULTI-DRUMSET mode (see section 6.9 below), and a program change is received in the00-49 range, theSR-16 will automatically select the drumset group corresponding to the program change number. For example, if program 36 is received with the above conditions met, the note map will change to drumset group30-39.
6.9 PAGE 9: MAP DRUM NOTES (NOTE MAP)
Within each Pattern, MIDI notes can either be mapped to 12 different sounds in NORMAL mode,.or they can be mapped to any of five drumset groups (User Drumsets00-09, 10-19,
Note that while in this mode, you cannot record notes into a Pattern via MIDI. It is assumed that you will be using the SR-16 strictly as a drum sound expander module.
The chart on the following page shows which drum pads of which drum sets are triggered by which MIDI notes. The logic to this assignment is that there are 12 drum pads per octave of notes, so pad 1 always starts on a C note (MIDI notes 000, 012, 024, 036, 048, 060, 072, 084, 096, and 108). Remember that these drum assignments must be saved as Drum Sets in order to retain the note map assignments.
Drum | Pad | MIDI | Drum | Pad | MIDI | Drum | Pad | MIDI |
Set | # | Note | Set | # | Note | Set | # | Note |
00 | 1 | 000 | 03 | 5 | 040 | 06 | 9 | 080 |
00 | 2 | 001 | 03 | 6 | 041 | 06 | 10 | 081 |
00 | 3 | 002 | 03 | 7 | 042 | 06 | 11 | 082 |
00 | 4 | 003 | 03 | 8 | 043 | 06 | 12 | 083 |
00 | 5 | 004 | 03 | 9 | 044 | 07 | 1 | 084 |
00 | 6 | 03 | 10 | 045 | 07 | 2 | 085 | |
00 | 7 | 006 | 03 | 11 | 046 | 07 | 3 | 086 |
00 | 8 | 007 | 03 | 12 | 047 | 07 | 4 | 087 |
00 | 9 | 008 | 04 | 1 | 048 | 07 | 5 | 088 |
00 | 10 | 009 | 04 | 2 | 049 | 07 | 6 | 089 |
00 | 11 | 010 | 04 | 3 | 050 | 07 | 7 | 090 |
00 | 12 | 011 | 04 | 4 | 051 | 07 | 8 | 091 |
01 | 1 | 012 | 04 | 5 | 052 | 07 | 9 | 092 |
01 | 2 | 013 | 04 | 6 | 053 | 07 | 10 | 093 |
01 | 3 | 014 | 04 | 7 | 054 | 07 | 11 | 094 |
01 | 4 | 015 | 04 | 8 | 055 | 07 | 12 | 095 |
01 | 5 | 016 | 04 | 9 | 056 | 08 | 1 | 096 |
01 | 6 | 017 | 04 | 10 | 057 | 08 | 2 | 097 |
01 | 7 | 018 | 04 | 11 | 058 | 08 | 3 | 098 |
01 | 8 | 019 | 04 | 12 | 059 | 08 | 4 | 099 |
01 | 9 | 020 | 05 | 1 | 060 | 08 | 5 | 100 |
01 | 10 | 021 | 05 | 2 | 061 | 08 | 6 | 101 |
01 | 11 | 022 | 05 | 3 | 062 | 08 | 7 | 102 |
01 | 12 | 023 | 05 | 4 | 063 | 08 | 8 | 103 |
02 | 1 | 024 | 05 | 5 | 064 | 08 | 9 | 104 |
02 | 2 | 025 | 05 | 6 | 065 | 08 | 10 | 105 |
02 | 3 | 026 | 05 | 7 | 066 | 08 | 11 | 106 |
02 | 4 | 027 | 05 | 8 | 067 | 08 | 12 | 107 |
02 | 5 | 028 | 05 | 9 | 068 | 09 | 1 | 108 |
02 | 6 | 029 | 05 | 10 | 069 | 09 | 2 | 109 |
02 | 7 | 030 | 05 | 11 | 070 | 09 | 3 | 110 |
02 | 8 | 031 | 05 | 12 | 071 | 09 | 4 | 111 |
02 | 9 | 032 | 06 | 1 | 072 | 09 | 5 | 112 |
02 | 10 | 033 | 06 | 2 | 073 | 09 | 6 | 113 |
02 | 11 | 034 | 06 | 3 | 074 | 09 | 7 | 114 |
02 | 12 | 035 | 06 | 4 | 075 | 09 | 8 | 115 |
03 | 1 | 036 | 06 | 5 | 076 | 09 | 9 | 116 |
03 | 2 | 037 | 06 | 6 | 077 | 09 | 10 | 117 |
03 | 3 | 038 | 06 | 7 | 078 | 09 | 11 | 118 |
03 | 4 | 039 | 06 | 8 | 079 | 09 | 12 | 119 |
Drum note map in MULTI-DRUMSET mode
NOTE: In this chart, Pad and MIDI note number values for drumset 00 also apply to drumsets 10, 20, 30, and 40; values for drumset 01 also apply to drumsets 11, 21, 31 and 41, etc.
CHAPTER 7: BACKUP
7.1 BACKUP BASICS
This function allows you to save the SR-16 Pattern, Song, and Drum Kit data to cassette tapes or MIDI system exclusive storage devices. General instructions are:
1. Press the BACKUP button.
2. Use the Page (up and down) buttons to select different 'pages' of functions; the display's lower right window shows the page number. These pages are described below.
3. Adjust values on pages, if necessary, as described for each page.
4. After performing the desired backup operation, press BACKUP again to exit, or choose another page.
With all tape operations, pressing STOP during a data transfer cancels the operation from that point on, as indicated by the display (TAPE OUT CANCEL when saving,TAPE IN CANCEL when verifying or loading). If you press STOP during a load from tape, the memory contents may end up partially full, thereby resulting in jumbled data for some Patterns or Songs. However, if you're loading a single Pattern or Song, you can press STOP any time after the desired Pattern or Song has loaded.
If an error occurs while loading, the display will say ERROR; loading continues but the data may be unuseable. Try reloading an alternate take of the data. If the tape stops or a dropout lasts long enough for theSR-16 to think the tape has stopped, the transfer will be cancelled (the display says TAPE IN CANCEL).
Background TheSR-16 can save the data in memory by converting this data into audio tones and recording these tones on a standard audio tape machine (usually cassette). Data can also be converted into a special type of MIDI code and stored in a MIDI data storage device such as the Alesis DataDisk, or transferred to anotherSR-16. As you build up a library of Patterns and Songs, data can be reloaded from tape or MIDI into theSR-16. There are two main reasons to save your work:
•Although the SR-16 can typically store over 15,000 events, eventually it will run out of memory. You can save the memory contents, fill up the memory with new Patterns and Songs, andre-load the old data when needed.
•It is vitally important to back up what's in the SR-16's memory!A mechanical problem (surge on the power line, a quick zap of static electricity) or operator error could alter the data in memory. Save your data whenever you've done enough work on something that you wouldn't want to lose that work. If possible, make two backups, and store the second backup in a different physical location from the primary backup.
Caution! Saving and loading data is very unreliable when done incorrectly, and very reliable when done right. To promoteerror-free saves and loads, use ahigh-quality recorder and tape.
7.2 TAPE INTERFACE HOOKUP
To save to tape: Connect a mini phone plug cable(male-to-male) from theSR-16 tape in/out to the recorder's tape in. If you are using a standard cassette recorder rather than a data recorder, plug into the recorder's Aux or Line Level input. If your only option is to plug into the microphone input, you may still be able to achieve satisfactory results.
Tape | Tape Recorder |
Aux In
To verify a save, or load data from tape: Connect a mini phone plug cable(male-to- male) from the recorder's speaker or line out to theSR-16's tape in/out.
Tape | Tape Recorder |
Speaker Out
7.3 PAGE 1: SEND DATA AS MIDI TO A MIDI SYS EX STORAGE DEVICE (SEND OUT MIDI?)
The display shows SEND OUT MIDI? To convert theSR-16's Pattern and Song information into MIDI system exclusive data and send this data through the MIDI out, press the PLAY button. The display will saySENDING MIDI… to confirm that data is being sent. Typically, the MIDI out would connect to anotherSR-16's MIDI in or a system exclusive data storage device such as the Alesis DataDisk. TheSR-16 data can take up as much as 35K, allowing it to be captured by most system exclusive storage devices.
After the transfer is complete, the SR-16 display reverts to either Song or Pattern mode
(whichever had been selected prior to saving).
Background TheSR-16's memory contents can be sent out over MIDI like any other MIDI data. This data is meaningful only to anSR-16 (different drum machines will ignore the data) but the data can be saved to a MIDI system exclusive storage device, such as the Alesis DataDisk, a computer running System Exclusive storage software, or a musical instrument capable of recording System Exclusive data (Yamaha SY77 and DX7IIFD, Ensoniq EPS and VFX, PeaveyDPM-3, etc.). This function also lets you send all Patterns, Songs, and Drum Setups to anotherSR-16 without having to save to tape first.
The following describes how to save data to the Alesis DataDisk; other system exclusive storage devices work similarly, but please refer to the owner's manual for your particular device to find out how to set it up to accept and store MIDI data.
Saving to DataDisk
1 . Connect theSR-16 MIDI out to the DataDisk (DD) MIDI in.
2 . Insert a formatted disk into the DD and proceed to the next step. If the disk is not formatted, insert it in the drive and press the DD Format switch. When the DD display says FORMAT DISK?, press DO/YES. When the display says ARE YOU SURE? press DO/YES again.
3 . Press the DD RECEIVE button. The display says RECV ONE SYSEX: WAITING FOR DATA.
4 . Press theSR-16 BACKUP button (if you are not already in the backup function) and select Page 1.
5 . Press theSR-16 PLAY button. TheSR-16 display says SENDING MIDI… and the DD display says RECEIVING AlesisSR-16 to indicate that data has been received.
6 . To prevent future confusion, name the DD file using the DD NAME function.
7.4 RECEIVE DATA DIRECTLY FROM ANOTHER MIDI DEVICE
The SR-16 will automatically loadSR-16 system exclusive data present at its MIDI input. Therefore, there is no associated function page since reception can occur at any time that a sys ex storage device or anotherSR-16 sends data through its MIDI out into theSR-16's MIDI in. If theSR-16 receives sys ex while a Pattern or Song is playing, the Pattern or Song will stop. Song 99 will be selected once the dump is finished.
The SR-16 is compatible only withSR-16 system exclusive data; for example, you cannot load system exclusive data from another drum machine into theSR-16.
The following describes how to load data from the Alesis DataDisk; other system exclusive storage devices work similarly, but please refer to the owner's manual for your particular device to find out how to set it up to send MIDI sys ex data.
NOTE: When loading a single drum set in sys ex, be sure and save the set to a user drum set memory location before changing patterns. If you change Patterns before saving the drum set, the drum set will be lost.
Loading from DataDisk
1 . Connect the DD MIDI out to theSR-16 MIDI in.
2 . Insert the disk into the DD that contains the file to be loaded into theSR-16.
3 . Press the DD SEND button. The display says SEND FILE AlesisSR-16 (filename)?
4 . Press the DD DO/YES button. TheSR-16 automatically senses the presence of this data; nobutton-pushing is required. The DD display says SENDING: AlesisSR-16 (filename), theSR-16 display says LOADING MIDI. Note that loading sys ex data overwrites all existingSR-16 memory.
5 . TheSR-16 will now be set to Song 99.
7.5 PAGE 2: SAVE ALL MEMORY CONTENTS TO TAPE (STORE TO TAPE?)
STORE TO
TAPE?
PRESS PLA
BACKU
PAG
This function saves all Patterns, Songs, and Drum Kits to tape. The display shows STORE TO TAPE? Put the cassette recorder into record mode. After the tape has gone past the leader (if present), press PLAY on theSR-16. TheSR-16 display will increment through the A/B Patterns and Songs; the operation is finished when the display saysDONE. It's a good idea to save data several times in case part of the tape becomes damaged.
To cancel the saving operation at any time, press STOP. The display says TAPE OUT CANCEL.
How To Program Alesis Sr 16
Remember that you can save data to any tape medium. For example, recording drum part data at the head of a multi-track master is often convenient, as it stores the drum parts used on a song with that song.
7.6 PAGE 3: VERIFY DATA RECORDED ON TAPE (VERIFY TAPE?)
VERIFY
TAPE?
PRESS PLA
BACKU
PAG
The display says VERIFY TAPE? Press PLAY; the display saysSTART TAPE…
Press the recorder's Play button. While checking, the display shows the current Pattern or Song being verified, until all data has been checked. When the tape has been verified, the display says DONE.
To cancel the verifying operation at any time, press STOP. The display says TAPE IN CANCEL.
Background Although cassette interfaces are quite reliable, problems can occur due to incorrect tape levels, defective tape, bad luck, etc. Do not consider your work as saved until you have verified the data recorded on tape, thus insuring that it can be loaded back into theSR-16 in the future.
Unlike some other cassette interfaces, this function verifies that the data on tape is valid, not necessarily that it's the same data as what's in the machine. In other words, the verify function does not work by checking the tape data and SR-16 data for similarities. Therefore, you can verify tape data at any time.
7.7 PAGE 4: LOAD DATA FROM TAPE (LOAD IN TAPE?)
LOAD IN
TAPE?
PRESS PLA
BACKU
PAG
This loads all data stored in the tape dump being loaded. The display says LOAD IN TAPE? Press PLAY; the display saysSTART TAPE…
Press the recorder's Play button. While loading, the display shows the current Pattern or Song being loaded, until all data has been loaded. Upon completion the display says
DONE.
Background This function reloads a Bank of Patterns and Songs stored on tape back into theSR-16. Data loaded from tape will take its original position in memory(e.g., SONG 15 will reload back into SONG 15). Loading all Patterns and Songs overwrites all existing data in memory, so if necessary, save your current work before loading.
7.8 PAGE 5: LOAD ONE PATTERN FROM TAPE (LOAD IN PATT)
LOAD IN
PATT01A
PRESS PLA
BACKU
PAG
This loads a single Pattern from a tape dump. The display says LOAD IN PATT00. Enter the desired Pattern number with the number or INC/DEC buttons, press the A or B button to specify the desired variation, then press PLAY; the display saysSTART TAPE…
Press the recorder's Play button. While loading, the display shows the Pattern being loaded. Upon completion the display says DONE.
Background You may just want to load one Pattern from tape rather than all data. A Pattern being loaded from tape will take its original position in memory(e.g., PATT 01B will reload back into PATT 01B) and will overwrite any data currently stored in that location.
Remember that loading a Pattern also loads its associated Fill.
7.9 PAGE 6: LOAD ONE SONG FROM TAPE (LOAD IN SONG)
LOAD IN
SONG01
PRESS PLA
BACKU
PAG
This loads a single Song of Patterns (not the Patterns used in the Song) from a tape dump. The display says LOAD IN SONG00. Enter the desired Song number with the number or INC/DEC buttons, then press PLAY; the display saysSTART TAPE…
Press the recorder's Play button. While loading, the display shows the Song being loaded. Upon completion the display says DONE.
Background You may just want to load one Song from tape rather than all data. A Song being loaded from tape will take its original position in memory(e.g., SONG 32 will reload back into SONG 32) and will overwrite any data currently stored in that location.
7 . 1 0 PAGE 7: CHECK AVAILABLE MEMORY (FREE MEM)
FREE MEM 100%
BACKU
PAG
When you select Page 7, the display will show the approximate amount of free memory available (expressed as a percentage of the total amount).
Background It is important to check memory from time to time because theSR-16 always requires some free memory for proper operation. If the available memory falls below 15% or so, immediately save theSR-16's data as previously described in this chapter.
Some operations may not be possible even if a small amount of memory is left. This is because the SR-16 duplicates a Pattern before it is modified (length change, offset change, etc.). If you try to alter a Pattern that takes up more memory than is available, the display will tell you that there is no more memory left.
Immediately save the SR-16's data, and determine whether you can erase any unwanted Patterns or Songs to free up some memory.
7 . 1 1 CLEARMEMORY/RE-INITIALIZE PARAMETERS
After saving a bank of data, you may want to start programming new Patterns from scratch so you don't mix up new Patterns with old ones. This operation clears the memory and reinitializes all parameters. It can also be a useful service technique to restore the SR-16 to normal operation if it 'locks up' due to some unforeseen event like a static electricity jolt or power supply interruption.
All existing Patterns, Songs, and drum assignments will be lost when you clear memory.
Save the SR-16's memory to tape or MIDI unless you are absolutely sure you don't need it.
To re-initialize, turn off power and wait a few seconds. Press and hold the PLAY and ERASE buttons while turning on power. Continue holding these buttons down for at least three seconds after turning on power.
7 . 1 2 CHECK SOFTWARE VERSION
VERSION 1.00
To determine the software version in your SR-16, press the FILL button at any time you're in the Backup menu. The display will showVERSION and the current software number.
Background There are two main reasons why it's important to know the software version.
•It is possible that the SR-16's operating system software may undergo changes or other enhancements at some point in the future. This will let you know whether you have the enhanced software or not.
•Should you experience problems with the SR-16 and call Alesis for technical support, it is important to know which software your machine is using.
12345Next >< Back= Page 6 =678